Tractor attachment for automobiles.



N. L.-0LS 0N. TRACTOR ATTACH MENT FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 26.1915.

Patented Nov. 19, 1918 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N. L. OLSON.

TRACTOR ATTACHMENT FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATIONTFILED JULYZG. 1915.

- Patented Nov. 19, 1918.

avwentoz NfiLs. OLSON attozmuga N. L. OLSON.

TRACTOR ATTACHMENT FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25,1915.

Patented N 0v. 19; 1918.

3 $HEETSSHEET 3.

J-IAIIIIIIQE JI NELs. L OLsoN witmuoao n'nLsL. OLSON, or nn'inorr,MICHIGAN;

moron. ATTACHMENT FOR AUTOMOBILES.

and useful Improvements in Tractor Attachnents for Automobiles, of whichthe followmg is a specification, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawings.

-This invention relates to automobiles and to an attachment thereforwhereby an ordinary road car may be quickly converted into a truck ortractor, the device being particularly adaptable for use with a wellknown type of light car. I

One of the objects of the invention is to rovide means whereby thenecessary power or use in handling a heavy load may be obtained andwhereby the ordinary spring suspension of the vehicle is unaltered andis utilized to act as an auxiliary support in case of momentary overloador depression of the attachment spring supporting devices.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth and moreparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure 1 is. a view in side elevation of a motor vehicle equipped withan attachment that embodies features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view in detail of the rear portion of the chassis, thetraction bearing wheels and the attachment spring support;

Fig. 3 is a view in detail andin rear elevatioi of a car equipped withthe attachment; an

Figs. 4c and 5 are views in detail of a traction bearing wheel with areducing gear, assembled and mounted on the rear axle.

Referring to the drawings a chassis 1 of a standard or conventional typeof construction of a standard light road car is supported at the forwardend by suitable sprlng members on suitable guide bearing wheels 2 and isequipped with the customary steering means indicated generally at 3 andwith a forward seat 4. The rear portion of the chassis is supported on atubular rear axle housing 6 by a transversely disposed elliptical springTclipped at, the crown center by suitable means to a cross member 8 ofthe chassis and coupled by a. pair of shackles 9 at the ends to suitablelugs 10 formed on the enla ged e d portions $1 of t e rear axle- ASpecification of letters ram Application filed July'26, 1915. Serial No.41,862.

atemea Nov. re, rare.

two-part differential axle through which poweris communlcated in themanner of the standard shaft drive transmission, whichdoes not form apart per se of this invention and is therefore not herein described orclaimed, has skein end portions 12 for the attachment of the regulartraction bearing wheels of the car when used for road pure poses, suchwheels not being shownhere as they are'of the usual type. A

Traction bearing wheels l t-having appropriate tread surfaces, are eachconnected to the skein portion 12 of the differential shaft through themedium of a reduction gear train of the planetary type housed in asuitable casing 15 which forms the nave of the wheel. A. hollow hubsleeve 16 is keyed or otherwise made fast to the skein 12 and supportsan appropriate anti-friction bearing,

herein shown at17 of conventional balltype,

12 in the casing 15/ An inner rim flange 22 formed on the flange 19carries an inner antifriction bearing, such as of the ball typeindicated at 23, that is appropriately arranged to transmit the weightto the skein portion 12. A stationary section 24 of the wheel casing isappropriately secured to theend portions 11 of the axle housing'6 by anypreferred means, and as herein shown, advantage may be taken of aprojection 25 on the flange of the part 11, to lock the parts together.A rabbeted rim 26 on the section 24 rotates in the rim 18, the shoulderof the rabbet cotiperating with a corresponding rabbet shoulder on therim 18 to retain a thrust ring 27 of appropriate design and material.retaining nut 30, washer 81 and dust cap 32 complete the exteriorstructure of the wheel nave. I I

Planetary pinions 33 on the studs 20 mesh with an internal gear or gearring 34 secured to or formed OIL the rim 26 of the fixed sectheseintemneshing pinions and gears, the wheel is driven at a reduced speedfrom the differential shaft speed and thereby the purperch block 38 towhich a semi --elliptical chase power is increased.

flangeJa spring parallelto the face portion of said member, and meansfor securing said wheel nave each afford support for a spring Y spring39 is appropriately clipped. A truck .body 40 is suspended as byshackles 4-1 and hangers 42 on the spring 39, the forward portion of thebody being appropriately latched; or otherwise detachably secured to themain chassis frame-so as to be tiltable if desired. Q

Suitable brace rods 43 converge forwardly into a'fitting 44 to whichthey are appropri- .of the car chassis.

ately connected, the latter being removably secured as by .bolts 45 orthe like to the torque tube of the axle at a point substantiallycoincident with the point of attach ment ,0 the main radius rods 48 ofthemachine. s herein shown the fitting grips the tube and bridges overthe radius rods.

,When used. as a tractor, an equalizer memto be detachably N drive shafthaving a flan ed housing, and 80 her or bar 49 is detachably secured bybolts' 50 or the like to the stationar sections 24 of the traction wheelnave an isp 'rovided "with a series of apertures 51 for attachment of avehicle or agricultural machine.

The supporting springs of the truck body 'may be soprop'ortioned thatbefore a maximum load isreached, the weight on the.

body is carried by the semi-elliptic springs above and clear from themain springs 7 As a result of this constructionthe load of the truckbody is not transmitted to the chassis'except when near a maximum or.

when passing over rough roads, the wheels and axle' of the chassis beinfree to tilt ',in the ordinary manner and t esprings of the chassisoperating only as reinforcing or auxiliary springs. :The excess load istrans 45 ,ferred directly to the wheels while the brace rods directlycouple the truck body to the @torque tube at a point substantiallycoincident with the connection of the tube to th chassis. Thusneithertheweight nor the driving strains due ,to 'the'inertia of thetruck bod 'and' its-momentum; alfect the chassis. he transfer from theregular gear 1 to the attachment gear is' quickly made, and

the car is thus able to serve either as a roadster or as a truck ortractor. 7

Obviously, changes, in the details of con-' struction maybe made withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention. and I do not care'to limitmyself to any parti cular form or arrangement of parts.

What I claim is 2- 1; An attachment for vehicles having an axle providedwith flanges, comprising a spring supporting member having aface portionarranged for. attachment to an axle to said member.

spiing v 2. n attachmentfor vehicles having an Bearing studs 37 mountedon or secured to the stationary section 24 of the traction axle providedwith end flanges, c omprlsmg spring supporting members each having aface portion for attachment to an axle flange and a laterally extendingportion, springs extending parallel to said face portions, and means forsecuring said springs to said laterally extending portions.

' 3. An attachment for selfpropelled vehiclescomprising traction wheelsadapted secured to a differential a fitting adapted to be rigidlysecured to an end flange of the housing of the said, shaft and providedwith means forsupporting a load carrying body.

4. An attachment for self propelled vehicles comprising traction wheelsadapted,

to be detachably secured to a differential shaft, members adapted to besecured to the ends of a housing for the diiferential shaft and formingclosures for the wheel casings,

- parts on the wheels, and load supporting means on each memberprojecting laterally therefrom.

6. An attachment for motor vehicles ineluding traction wheels adapted tobe detachably secured to a differential axleand each having a casingpart in the navejof the wheel, members having faces adapted to berigidly secured to the ends of a housing for the difierentiad axleandfiso form fixed parts for closing one side of said casing, springsupports on said members, springs on. saidsupports extending parallelw1th the face; of said members, and load carrying bearings in the wheelcasings.

7. An attachment for motor/vehicles in-f eluding tractionwheels adaptedto be der tachably secured to the ends of a live axle,1;

load carrying members adapted to beide:

tachably secured to the ends ofa fixedhous 4 ing for said axle, springssupported by said members,"and a load carrying body sup. ported by saidsprings independently, of" said housing and the weightof which load istransmitted by said springs directly to the naves of the wheels.

8. The combination with a vehicle chassis,

of an attachment including-detachable traction wheels, load carryingmembers forming fixed parts of-the wheel Haves to transmit the loaddirectly thereto and detachabl 14. An attachment for anautomobile'comsecured to the chassis, against'turning witprisingtraction bearing wheels each having the wheels, and a loadcarrying body carreduction transmission in the nave thereof ried by saidmembers. including a stationary section adapted to be 9. Theconibinationwitha chassis includsecured to the stationary part of the rear ing afiangedaxle housing, of an attachment axle of an automobile, springperches on the including traction wheels having nave cassections,springs on the erches-and a truck ings, a body, load carrying memberssupportbody mounted on the springs above and indeing the body andforming fixed parts of said" pendent of th main body.

casings and detachably secured to the flange 15. An attachment foranautomobile com- I of said housing to transmit the load directlyprising traction. bearing wheels having re- .to the wheel navesandmeans'in said hous- 'duction transmission in the naves thereof ingsand wheel casihgs for driving the including a stationary section adaptedto wheels. be secured to the stationary part of the rear 10. Thecombination with a chassis inaxle of an automobile, spring perches oneluding an axle housing and a differential the sections, springs on theperches, a truck axle in said'housing, of an attachment inbody mountedon the springs above and-ineluding traction wheels detachablycon-dependent of the main body, and brace nected tosaid axle beyond theends of said members extending forwardly from the housing, saidwheels-each having an inte-- gral nave casing part, load carryingmemward portion of the chassis.

bers detach'ably secured to' the ends of said 16.'An attachment for anautomobile'com-- housing and forming fixed parts. of said prisingtraction bearing wheelsfeach havwheel casings, spring supporting meanson inga two-part na've forming a housing each. member projectinglaterally therefrom for-reduction gearing therein," and with a in thedirection of the length-of said housing, springs on said means extendingtrans-,- the housing of the main drive. axle, body.

versely of said *housing parallel withlthe supporting members on thestationary secplane of rotation of said. wheels, and means tions, atruck body tiltably mounted on the in each wheel casing for driving thewheels. supports above and independently of ithe -11. The'combinationwith a chassis 'inmain chassis, and means extending-forward cluding anaxle, of an attachment including from the point of the support ofthetruck traction wheels detachably connected to body as radius rods. rsaid axle, members each-forming a fixed. 17. The combination with therear drive partof the nave of each wheel and detachably secured to thechassis, a spring support ingly mounted thereon, of traction bearingprojecting laterally from each memberin wheels havlng reduction gear ngin their the direction of the length of said axle, naves includingstationary sectionsadapted springs pivotally attached to said supports,to be secured to the housing of the rear axle a load carrying body onthe springs, and and provided with body supporting meme v means in eachwheel nave ,fo rtransmitting bers'and atruck body mountedthereon in-'motion from the ,axle tothev wheels to drive dependently of the chassis.

the same. 18. The combination with a rear axle '1n spring perches andconnecting with the foraxle of an automobile and a chassis yieldl2s-Anattachment for an automobile com cluding a stationary'housingand driveshaft prising traction bearing wheels having rethereof and a chassisyieldingly mounted duction gearing in. the naves thereof tothereon, oftractlon beanng wheels each in- Q 'gether with stationary'section'shousing and eluding in the nave thereof a stationary anchoring, thegearing adapted 'to be sesection adapted to be secured to the rearcu-red to the rear axle of an automobileya axle housing and providedwithsupporting truck body'and means on the stationary secperches 'androtatable sections with inte tions for supporting the truck body indemediate gears between the sections for drivpendently of and, abovethe'phassis,

, ing the rotatable members from the drive 13.- An attachment foran-automobile comshaft, a truck body,- and .means supporti prising thecombination. with therear driv- 1 ving the, body -onthe stationarysections ary sections adapted to be secured to the mounted" thereonindependently of and tionbearirig wheels having reduction gearing axlethereof and the standard chassis above and independently of theautomobile yieldingly mounted onthe' axle, of tracchassis.

- In testimony whereof .I affix my signaing'inthe navesthereof-including stationture in presence of two witnesses: rear axlehousing, body supporting members NELS OLSON" on the stationary sectlonsand a truck body -'Witnesses:

' Lnwrs E. FLANDERS,

above-the'chassis; Orr'ro F. BARTHEL.

